USADA releases statement about Jon Jones doping violation
Following news that Jon Jones had been flagged for a potential doping violation after a drug test administered on June 16, USADA released a statement about the interim light heavyweight champion's current situation.
USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) handles the UFC's anti-doping policy and they administered the testing and notified Jones and the promotion about the result on Wednesday.
According to USADA spokesman Ryan Madden, who spoke to FOX Sports on Thursday, the organization was notified about Jones' positive test on July 6 and they passed along the results promptly.
Madden says that the no-notice, out-of-competition tests conducted by USADA are sent to an independent, WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) accredited lab for testing and though the timeline can vary based on many factors, the timeline in Jones' case is standard.
Madden stated that the test samples are also sent anonymously to the laboratories for testing.
"Given that Mr. Jones has spoken publicly about the issue, I can confirm that he has been notified of a potential anti-doping policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition test on June 16. Mr. Jones' B-sample is currently being analyzed by the independent WADA-accredited laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, and we have requested that the laboratory report those results to us as soon as possible. While at this time we are not going to provide any further specifics of the case, I can tell you that Mr. Jones will be provided full due process under the rules," Madden said in a statement released to FOX Sports.
"I can also confirm that USADA has been in communication with the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding Mr. Jones' potential violation and that we are working to ensure that the Commission has the necessary information to fully adjudicate this matter in accordance with its rules."
Jones denied knowingly taking any banned substances ahead of his fight with Daniel Cormier at UFC 200, but as of right now he's been pulled from the card as he awaits results from the 'B' sample that's currently being tested.
Jones will still be afforded an appeals process regardless of the result of the test and his manager Malki Kawa said on Thursday that there's always a possibility that the fighter could have been the victim of a tainted supplement he took during his training camp.
There's no exact timeline for the adjudication process involving Jones or when a potential sanction could be handed down to the veteran light heavyweight if he is punished for the anti-doping policy infraction.
Fighters could be suspended up to two years or more for a first time positive test, but USADA retains the right to change a suspension depending on circumstances surrounding the positive test.
